Book description
'The fruit of his labours', Martin Manser's SCAPEGOATS, SHAMBLES AND
SHIBBOLETHS is a delightful book for all who adore the English
language. 'In the twinkling of an eye' we learn that many of our most
familiar phrases are taken straight from the King James Version of the
Bible. Far from being 'holier than thou', it seems we quote from the
Bible without even realising!
Martin Manser explains in detail what it is to be 'the apple of
someone's eye' . . . 'No modern physiology book would put it like
this, but in the past the pupil of the eye was referred to as
"the apple". After all, it was shaped like one. In addition,
because it was recognised to be the most important part of the eye it
was a symbol for all things precious. The most valuable part of a
highly valued organ of the body. Dotted around the Bible the phrase
therefore represents anything that is of great worth - whether it is
the law of God in Proverbs 7 v 2, the people of Israel found and
nurtured in the desert or as an individual on the receiving end of
divine care.'
A quirky present, SCAPEGOATS SHAMBLES AND SHIBBOLETHS will amuse and
entertain as well as shed a thought-provoking light on the background
to our rich and varied language.
